Grammar Explained

Practice exercises

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Use be -ing?Present simple vs Present Progressive

When do people use be -ing? Let’s look at some sentences with be -ing (present progressive/present continuous) and the present form (present simple) to better understand the meaning be -ing adds and why speakers choose to use it.

I play golf.
I don’t drink tea. It generally doesn’t happen.
Do you watch the football?

I‘m playing golf tomorrow.
I‘m not drinking tea next week. I’m having a break from it.Are you watching the football tonight?

We use the present form for general descriptions.

We use am/are/is + -ing form for things that are not finished. These things finish in the future.

She has a baby.

general description: what she has.

She is having a baby.

action: what she is doing – giving birth.
This action finishes in the future.
(She may be giving birth now or pregnant now and giving birth in the future.)

I live in England.

This is generally permanent.
We are not thinking about it finishing.

I‘m living in England.

This is temporary. We are focusing on now.
We are thinking about it finishing.

Practice Exercises

1. Complete the conversation

*TIP* This is a conversation, so use “I’m staying…”

Answers and notes

A: Hello.
B: Hi. How are you doing?
A: Great. (1) I‘m sitting by a pool.(now, an unfinished action) (2) I‘m not working this week! (For a period of time – not finished now.)
B: Sounds good. Are you on vacation?
A: Yeah. Last month was pretty stressful so (3) I‘m taking a break. (Same as 2.) (4) I‘m staying at a great hotel by the beach (Same as 2.) and (5) I‘m going/go scuba diving tomorrow! (We can think of this either way: “I’m going” not finished – future action, or “I go” something fixed – a scheduled event.)
B: I’m envious. (6) I love the beach.(in general)

Close

2. Complete the sentence

Answers and notes

I usually drive to work, but I’m taking the train today.

I usually drive to work, – In generalbut – shows these two things are differentI’m taking the train today. – not finished: once, today only, temporary

Close

3. How can we say it?

Choose sentences to fit the situations. There may be more than one answer.

Answers and notes

I haven’t seen you for years!Where do you live now? (in general)Where are you living now? (old place: finished, new place: not finished – I don’t think you live in the same place you lived before – You finished living there, so now you are living somewhere else.)

You’re very quiet.What do you think about? (this is grammatical but doesn’t fit the situation. I’m asking about now, not in general)What are you thinking about? (now – not finished)

Some people say that technology is bad for us.What do you think about that? ( want your general opinion about something specific)What are you thinking about that?(I’m not asking about what you happen to be thinking about now.)

Let’s do lunch together sometime soon.Are you working on Monday?(We can think of work on Monday as an action that is not finished)Do you work on Monday?(We can think of work on Monday as something fixed.

A: I love traveling.B: Do you plan to go overseas anytime soon? (any general plans)B: Are you planning to go overseas anytime soon?
(any specific plans – not finished planning. Either fits here, because if there is a plan [“do you plan”] it is often loose and can change, or we can think of the plan as being incomplete [“are you planning”].)

A: I come from a big family.B: How many brothers do you have? (in general)B: How many brothers are you having? (not an unfinished action.)

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